Your Love (It's not as they say)
by walkingarrowofshield
Summary: Felicity and Oliver have been best friends since they were children. Fast forward years later, one of them is married. Does it mean their love will never be given a chance? A freak tragedy and a knock on the door later, five lives will forever be changed.
1. Chapter 1

Love wasn't supposed to hurt. Maybe hurt was a byproduct of love, but actual love wasn't supposed to hurt. So why exactly was she standing here, looking at him, knowing wholeheartedly that she loved this man yet feeling like her whole life was a glassy, hazy, shade of grey?

"Do you Oliver Queen take Dinah Laurel Lance to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

Felicity took a deep sharp breath as the edges of her vision started to dull. Of course. What other was he supposed to say? That he loved her? To call off the wedding? Felicity mentally reprimanded herself. Not one of the those two thoughts of hers were even true, much less having both of them true, but more importantly— happening.

Sticks and stones they said, but she knew damn well early on in her life that sometimes those cliché quotes are all that they are— cliché. She knew too damn well that mantras and quotes and distractions and rebounds were nothing but bandaids, they don't heal the wound they just cover it up until it heals itself.

But the question is, can she heal herself?

The thunderous applause of the people around her broke her thoughts and as if strings were connected to her hands, she started clapping despite herself.

The truth is, she is happy for Oliver. He was happy and despite the dropping sensation and hallowing of her heart, she's glad that he had someone to take care of him. The truth is, she didn't hate Laurel. She didn't even dislike her, not one bit, which is why them getting married hurt more than if she did.

They were happy. They loved each other. Who was she to stand in the way of their happiness? Who was she to be so self-centered and selfish to take that away from them both? She has always been a fighter. And if that means a bloodied, cut-up, messy, heartrending battle she has to endure to accept that her best friend, the man that she loved, now belonged to someone else then so be it.

She watched as the lady in white and man in black walked down the aisle, flower petals thrown at them, towards the two heavy set doors and out into the blinding sun.

Just then a quote slithered into her head, _"This is what it means to be in the middle of love. Being in the middle of love feels like being in the middle of a war zone."_


	2. Chapter 2

The champagne oozed its way easily down her throat, it being her third glass.

"Careful there Smoak. A few more of those and you'll be dancing the Macarena straight to the cake."

Felicity swiveled in her seat to find Sara standing over her.

"Sara, you know I don't dance."

"Well your 22nd birthday party definitely begs to differ," Sara teased.

"Oh wh- no no no no. That's not fair! You got me hammered. ON PURPOSE."

"Ahhh goodtimes," Sara smiled in recollection.

Felicity smiled fondly at the memory. That night at Verdant was a highlight of her life. Tommy and Oliver had thrown her a surprise party. It wasn't much of her scene but she enjoyed letting loose, being free, and reckless. No consequences— god consequences were a bitch.

Felicity pulled out the chair beside her, signaling Sara to sit down. Sara sat down with a huff and margarita at hand. The two ladies directed their attention to the head table where Oliver and Laurel sat. Tommy was making his best man speech telling stories of the three of them, Oliver, Felicity, and Tommy in their glory diaper days all the way to his and Oliver's scandalous college years.

Too many memories started creeping their way into Felicity's thoughts prompting her to take another swig of her champagne.

"You know, I always thought it would have been the other way around."

Felicity snapped her head at Sara's direction.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, you know-" Felicity's eyebrows shot up as Sara tried to find the right words to say, "Ahh I don't know. I just thought that it would be Tommy and Laurel and you and Oliver."

"Sa- just no. How you could you say that on your sister's wedding," Felicity practically screeched.

"Calm down Smoak, I'm only kidding. Well, a little. Take it as a grain of salt… and A LOT of glasses of margaritas," Sara smiled jokingly.

Felicity tried to laugh at Sara's joke but it ached a little to much, pinched the heart a little too tight to even force a smile. She returned her attention back to the newly married couple. Felicity admits that they look good together, just adding onto the list of why it hurts so much more.

After a couple of speeches later and the cutting of the cake, the other guests alongside the bride and groom started hitting the dance floor. Sara was making her signature dance moves known to the whole world, Oliver and Laurel closely dancing together with the rest of the crowd, and Tommy hit some moves not known to sober Tommy.

"Alright everyone, time for the money dance," The emcee announced.

Little by little the male guests at the reception made their way to Laurel for a dance whilst pinning money on her dress. It was a debate the couple had. Certainly Oliver is well off and don't need the extra money, but to Laurel's suggestion they could take the money that they acquire and give it to charity. Working as a child custody attorney, Laurel often crossed paths of foster care children and knew that the system was corrupted in more ways than one. The charities that try to help ensure the physical and mental healthiness foster kids, Laurel could think of no better way to put to the money received to good use. After all, most of these people were billionaires.

"Go on. Go make your way over there Felicity," a familiar voice behind her whispered.

It could only be one person. Turning her head back there he was, her other best friend, Tommy.

"Actually I was about to head my way out," Felicity said clearing her voice as it dared wavered.

All the sulking and heartache was too much for Felicity. She wanted to be happy for Oliver and Laurel. She wanted to leave before her mood turned any more sour. She wanted to avoid the seeding bitterness in her heart.

"What? No! Already? C'mon Smoak! Let's live it up, for Oliver!"

Only Tommy could put a somewhat smile on her face. The ridiculousness of his limbs all over the place, thanks to alcohol, made her wonder how his speech hasn't been affected. Yet, anyways.

Numerous emotions passed through Felicity. In one moment she was sure she could fake her way through the night, the next moment she was glad that she still had Tommy to lean on, the moment after she felt like downing all the alcoholic beverages in the room. But there was only one feeling that stayed— the acidic burn in her stomach that dares to liquify her whole body until it was a pile of nothing. Which is what she felt as a being, nothing.

Tommy sensing Felicity's growing sadness, tried to put a hand on her should but instead landed on her forearm. Felicity snickered at his attempt.

"Hey, are you okay," Tommy asked, sincerity laced with alcohol.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Felicity wiggled her eyebrows.

The two had an intense stare down. A pairs of blue eyes on a pair of grey. It was the same charade. They knew all too much about hidden conversations, side glances, and most of all, hidden feelings. Sometimes unrequited love burned more excruciating than requited love.

"Ahhhh! Alright you got me Smoak. But c'mon, seriously! Let's live it up tonight to the point that we forget about it."

Tommy had a point. Surely she could have a few more drinks and a hell lot of a good time. It only took another two seconds to change her mind as it cranked out a disastrous scenario: alcohol corrupting her already missing brain to mouth filter. It was enough to finally get Felicity out of there.

"Nope. Uh.. I'm just going to go home. I need to take care of myself," a moment passed, "No! Not in that way. I mean actually take care of myself or treat myself. Like mint chocolate ice cream and stuff like that.. Oh god."

Felicity face palmed herself. The alcohol was definitely in her system ready to take center stage, seizing the mic. Well in her case, her mouth.

Tommy laughed at Felicity's rambling. He put his arm around her, more for the sake of himself than hers and dialed a cab.

"You're not stealing our friend are you now Tommy?"

At the sound of his voice, the two friends arm in arm tried to spin around without falling over.

"Nope. Nope! Not at all. Actually, Felicity why don't you dance with Oliver here," Tommy smirked, alcohol masking the would be apparent tone.

"But the cab—"

"Won't be here for another 10 minutes."

"So what do you say Felicity," Oliver held his hands out, "care to make a donation to the kids and have a dance with your bestfriend?"

Not that tone. Goddamned that tone. Before she knew it she was stumbling her way onto Oliver.

"Okay. Before I leave," she said in a tight smile.

Felicity tried her best to not step on Oliver's feet, mumbling sorry when she does. He just smiled. That was Felicity being Felicity. They swayed to the music, Oliver taking the lead. Despite all his rebuttals on dancing, he doesn't completely have two left feet.

When Felicity gave up trying to avoid massacring Oliver's foot with her heels, she found the courage to look up at his eyes. _There she saw all the other possibilities. The dream-world possibilities. The fairytale possibilities. The seemingly impossible possibilities._

But all too soon he blinked and so did she, reality obliterating any chance of hope.

"Congratulations Oliver. I'm happy for you. I really am. Who would have thought out of us three you'd be the first one to get married?"

"Is that a backhanded compliment," Oliver asked, eyebrows wiggling in amusement.

"What? Huh? No. I mean," Felicity took a deep breath as Oliver chuckled, "what I mean is that—"

"I know what you mean Felicity. Me too. Who would have thought, huh?"

"I always believed in you, you know that. I always knew the good in your heart. And I knew you'd make the right choices from it, that some day you'd find someone you love and who would love you back for who you are."

"You always were the talker, weren't you?"

"Even if it got me in trouble."

Oliver and Felicity chuckled. They knew of too many instances when her rambling got her in trouble.

"You know Felicity, you're still my girl. My day one girl."

The acid in her stomach dropped even further liquefying her legs. It gave and she stumbled onto Oliver's chest.

"And that would be the alcohol! Oh god." Not really, but ain't it the medicine and scapegoat of everything?

She straightened herself upright and just as she did a waiter tapped her on her shoulders.

"Miss Smoak? Your cab is here."

"Well that's my cue," she said trying to fix her heels, "seriously Oliver. Congratulations. Best of luck and tell Laurel I'm sorry that I have to leave early." At that Oliver nodded.

Felicity hugged Oliver and scurried her way to the cab in a vapidness unknown to Oliver.

Feet stuck in place, he can't help but feel a book of his life. The heavy back cover falling onto the pages that were now his yesterday. The realization alone set an uneasy feeling in his stomach, daring to hook onto his heart as it tried to drag it down.

Seeing the blonde in the red dress making her way out the door and into the night sky he can't help but think that more often than not the force of this world _can't turn a speck of dust into a galaxy of stars._


	3. Chapter 3

The clamorous incessant knocking on the door made Felicity's eyes snap open from her slumber. Looking at her bedside clock it was 2:37 in the morning. Who on earth could have been at her door?

Grumbling out of bed, she didn't care how she looked. The worse the better so she can scare off whoever was interrupting her sleep. She looked in her peep hole only to find the person's back of the head, as the rest of their body slay slump on the door.

Unlocking and then opening the door quickly, the person nearly fell on their ass.

"Ugh. Tommy, what are you doing here? Do you not know what time it is?!"

"Yuh its like chooooo in the mornngng."

"Yeah and you should be at home in your bed," trying to pick him up she grunted, "Oh Tommy you reek. Let's get you up and on the sofa."

"Whoya talkin bout lttleee," he practically howled like Tarzan.

"I didn't say you were little," Felicity rolled her eyes, "Do you want to tell me why you're drunk and on my doorsteps?"

But Tommy didn't have to explain. She knew. Hell, if she didn't have work tomorrow or the day after she probably would been intoxicated to the point of unconsciousness alongside him.

Oliver and Laurel were coming back from their honeymoon today. It would be the first time Tommy and Felicity would see either Oliver or Laurel since the wedding.

Felicity laid Tommy down on her sofa. More precisely dropped him on her sofa but at his state, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

He mumbled something that sounded like "comfortable" or "miserable" probably intending to say both.

With a big sigh Felicity headed to her kitchen to grab a wet cloth. When she came back, she found Tommy completely sprawled on every inch of sofa that would cushion him. In a half-hearted smile, she sat down next to him in what little space that allowed her. She ran her fingers through his dark hair. It was one of the things that he and Oliver had done when they were younger as she cried about the other kids that would poke fun at her.

They have always been a pact. Though, not always. As tight knit as they now are again, they weren't always so close. Sometimes when people grow, they grow apart. The three of them weren't an exception.

* * *

 ***5 Years Ago***

"Stop it! N-n-nonononono. Stop. Oliver! Tommy! STOP." Felicity shrieked at the top of her lungs while swinging almost parallel to the ground in Tommy's backyard. Tommy and Oliver were pushing her high up as possible in hopes to get rid of Felicity's fear of heights.

From somewhere inside Tommy's family mansion, the phone rang.

"I'll get it. Ugh, It better not be that one group that keeps trying to sell those lawn mowers. Seriously, when will they get a hint?"

"Won't someone else be able to get that?" Oliver asked.

Tommy just shrugged and backed his way into the mansion.

"When I said 'live it up' for this summer vacation, I didn't actually mean up. Like up, UP. Like in the AIR up!"

"You can do it Smoak! How else would this summer be memorable other than conquering one of your fears?"

Felicity just rolled her eyes. Oliver, the ever adventurist.

It was the first day of summer vacation, but the three of them were already trying to savor every last moment. Come Fall, they were all going their separate ways for college.

Well, her at least.

Both Oliver and Tommy were going to Yale while she's going to MIT. And though she's exhilarated about attending her dream school, she's also very unsettled doing about it alone. She's always had her two best friends alongside her since she was seven.

As she was coming down from mid-air, Felicity decided she's had enough. She tried to stop the next upward thrust of the swing with her feet.

Everything happened so quickly.

She prematurely plunged her legs down in hopes to slow down the swing's momentum, but het legs didn't connect with the ground. Some weird wire circuiting in her brain thought that it did and the smallest adjustment of her butt forward caused her legs to swoop up under her.

When he saw her legs come down, Oliver immediately knew that it was a disaster waiting to happen. It was too early and she was a little too high up for her feet to try and stop the momentum.

One second he was behind her, pushing her, the next he was trying to break her fall.

He grabbed her waist from the behind flipping them around just in time before they hit the ground. His back connected with the playground's wood fiber surface receiving the the blow.

The wind was knocked out of him.

Without thinking Felicity whirled around Oliver's chest not caring if she crushed his insides. She put her hand on either side of his face turning and checking if there were any cuts. "Oh my gosh. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. Ow. Yeah."

Felicity inspected Oliver's face one last time, then—

"Ow!" Oliver grunted from Felicity's sudden punch, "Felicity wh—"

"This is why you don't push anyone on the swing to the point they can go around!"

Her eyes were hard oh his, no trace of humor in her tone. But her fervor had him catching attention of something else.

His eyes traveled down her face and to her lips aware of how close their faces were, aware of how their bodies pressed against one another and the heat generating from their proximity. His mind became cognizant of how his heavy breathing made her rise and fall with his chest.

Suddenly Felicity was conscious of their position. She was conscious of his breath meshing with hers, conscious of his hand that was on the small of her back. She became conscious of the darkening of Oliver's eyes and how she licked her lips in response. Heat flared up in her cheeks and Oliver let out an almost inaudible squeak.

But she couldn't find it in herself to get up and get off of him.

"I-I umm I'm s-sorry," Oliver stammered.

Felicity opened her mouth and then shut it again unable to articulate any word.

A whistle hovered above them, "I um.. did I miss anything?" Tommy asked, eyebrows raised, intrigued.

That was all it took to break the moment. Felicity pushed off of the ground shaking her head, "No. Nope. Nothing. Just you know the part when I almost died," she said matter-of-factly.

Oliver got up and started wiping off the wood fiber that stuck on his clothes, "Okay maybe we shouldn't do that anymore."

When Oliver finally looked up, his eyes met Tommy's. There was an undeniable smirk in his eyes. And even if neither one of them three will admit it, the fact remains that from this moment on their lives changed forever.

* * *

Tommy woke up with an excruciating pain in his right leg. Opening his eyes, he realizes why. His left leg was propped up on the arm top while his right leg lay completely off the sofa, inhibiting proper circulation.

Groaning, he used all his upper body muscle to get himself up.

"Morning sunshine," an all too familiar voice called out.

Twisting around Felicity stands in the kitchen omelette in pan and pan in hand.

"Oh goodness. If I didn't die from the alcohol poisoning last night, I will definitely die from food poisoning from your cooking."

"Shut up Merlyn. Although I must say I am pretty surprised that you even remembered getting drunk with how bad you stumbled on my doorsteps at two in the morning."

"Oh no," Tommy groaned, "really? Two in the morning? And I smelled like this?"

"Yup," Felicity said making the 'p' pop as she focused back on the stove.

"I reek."

"Yup."

Tommy started unbuttoning his shirt, "Hey Felicity do you have any shirts that I can borrow?"

"Yeah, second drawer."

"Alright, th—" Tommy started saying when the doorbell cut him off.

He walked to the door without putting much thought in answering it shirtless.

He was met with an all too familiar set of eyes.

"Oliver?"


	4. Chapter 4

Oliver was met with grey eyes, definitely not the shade of blue he was expecting to see. Tommy greeted him with agitation. Confusion, recognition, and anger flared through Oliver's bones causing his thumb to rub against his index finger in a relentless force.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver and Tommy said simultaneously, traces of displeasure and apprehension laced in their tone, respectively.

"Is Felic—"

"I was jus—"

Both men started explaining at the same time.

Just then Felicity emerged from behind Tommy. "Who's at th— Oh. Oliver! What are you doing here?"

Thankful that the question has been directed to Oliver, Tommy chimed in, "Yeah. I thought you got back later today?"

"Honeymoon cut short. I had to take care of some paperworks. What are you doing here?" Oliver redirected to Tommy, evidently taking in his shirtlessness.

"I- um, No. It's not. I was just—" How does one exactly explain that he showed up to one of his best friend's house because his other best friend married the unrequited love of his life?

"Oh! Um Tommy crashed at my place last night." Felicity interjected, trying to save Tommy's ass. At that Oliver's eyebrows shot up. "Oh no. Not like that. Oh nono. He was just— He was just you know, making sure I was okay. I wasn't feeling good so he came over."

"Shirtless?"

Felicity just then recognized Tommy's state of clothelessness and immediately turned pink, realizing how her explanation must have sounded like a lie.

Oliver shook his head not taking the explanation, "I was actually hoping to catch you, Felicity. In private. But seeing as this may be a bad time, I'll just set up a meeting later at Queen Consolidated."

"Yeah. Okay. Just let Barbara let me know what time."

Oliver took one last glance at Felicity and Tommy and exhaled, "Okay."

At that, Oliver started walking back to his car where his driver, John Diggle, held the the door open. Soon after the car left in an unnecessary haste.

After the car was out of sight Felicity closed her front door, put her back on it and slid down until her butt hit the ground.

"Ugh. That's so painful! I mean, how can someone even pretend that they're okay when the love of their life marries someone else? And then they show up at your doorsteps! How tragic. Super tragic. Granted, he didn't show up here for romantic purposes he showed up here for business purposes," Felicity waved off her own explanation, "But that's beside the point, the point is—"

"That was strange," Tommy said in amusement, interrupting Felicity's babbling.

"Huh. What? What was strange?"

"The way Oliver was acting. Did you see his hands? He was doing that thumb thing again and he only does that when nervous or mad. And definitely did not seem nervous."

"So he was mad? Is that what you're trying to say?" Felicity questioned.

"Well, yeah. He's mad. I think he even may been mad at me."

"Yeah right," Felicity scoffed. "What for?"

"I don't know. He has no reason to be…"

"Exactly Merlyn. Stop being paranoid. He doesn't know about your little one sided romance with his wife, okay?"

Felicity pushed herself up off the ground remembering the eggs she was cooking and hastily making her way into the kitchen.

"Frack! The omelette. Oh and put a shirt on Tommy. I don't wanna see your boobs."

Tommy chuckled.

"Yeah well, this might have been the reason Oliver was mad a me," Tommy whispered to himself.

Tommy made a mental note that after he jeopardizes his life with Felicity's cooking, he needs to stop by at Queen Consolidated to have a little chat with Oliver.

* * *

 ** _*5 years ago*_**

"OWWWWW!" Oliver yelled. "You don't have to pinch that hard! You don't even have to pinch at all!"

"Well this is what you get. I told you the swings were a stupid idea."

Felicity was hunched over a shirtless Oliver, trying to take out the little shard of wood embedded in his skin. A couple of minutes after the swing fiasco, Oliver started to feel a little discomfort on his right shoulder. Of course at first he tried to shake off the feeling, blaming soreness from hitting the ground. But then as the hours rolled by, he couldn't stop the pain he was experiencing. To much of his dismay, Felicity had him take his shirt off so she could examine his shoulder. And there it was, three splinters digging deep in flesh.

Getting hit with a baseball? No biggie. Getting tackled by a 295 lb dude? Survivable. A hangnail or a splinter? Agonizing. Complete torture.

"Are you sure you're supposed to be pinching it out?"

"Well, it's either that or i try and take it out with a needle and I don't think that you nor I would end in such a good place with a needle."

Oliver gulped. "Okay. Jus— just try to get it out okay?"

"1… 2..—"

"FUCK FUCKING HELL." Oliver shouted.

"Got it! I got it!" Felicity cried as she then used a pair of tweezers to fully pull put the splinter.

"Good god. Okay, I promise. Never again." Oliver said as he raised two finger in the air, "Scout's honor."

"You're not a boyscout," Felicity rolled her eyes.

"Exactly," Oliver smirked.

Felicity glared at him. He smirked right back.

"Fine. You can put the antiseptic and bandage on yourself," Felicity said marching the other way, straight to the door.

Oliver quickly got up to close the distance and get ahead of her.

"Okay okay okay. I was just kidding." Her laid his hands onto her arms and eyes straight to hers, "I'm sorry Felicity. Never again."

Something in his defeated demeanor edged off Felicity's exasperation. That and his missing shirt.

"Okay," she breathed.

For the second time that day, they caught themselves staring into each other's eyes as whole world possibilities danced in the moment with them.

* * *

"Hi Barbara. Is Oliver in his office?" Tommy asked Oliver's assistant.

"I'm sorry Mr. Merlyn, but Mr. Queen is in a meeting at this moment."

"Well you wouldn't happen to know when he gets out of that meeting, would you?" Tommy flashed his mega-watt smile.

And of course, it totally works.

"Umm. Actually the meeting should be over in about 5 minutes."

"Ahh. Thank you Barbara."

Tommy proceeded around the corner, spying Oliver making his way back into his office. Just as Tommy spot Oliver, Oliver spot Tommy.

"Tommy? What are you doing here?"

"Hey I was just going to talk to you about earlier."

"Earlier? I don't think there's anything to be discussed," Oliver dismissed.

"Oh I think there is," Tommy said matter-of-factly.

Oliver weighed the situation. "Come on in my office."

The two men made their way into Oliver's office, Tommy taking a seat on Oliver's couch while Oliver sat in his chair.

"Soo about this morning…" Tommy started.

"What about this morning?"

"It's not what it seemed like it was." When Oliver didn't respond Tommy continued, "I was hammered last night and I crashed on her couch. That's all. Nothing happened."

"And you happened to have no clothes on?"

"It was only my shirt! And no. My shirt stank courtesy of alcohol and as I was right about to change when you doorbelled. Didn't really put much thought about answering the door."

Oliver stewed over Tommy's explanation, going back and forth if she should believe his best friend or not. He should, shouldn't he? But this newfound jealousy is making him run in circles.

"Goodness Tommy if you two did what I thought you did—" Oliver said running his hands over his face.

"Then you would have what?" Tommy challenged.

At that Oliver remained quiet. He was letting his emotions get the best of him and Tommy definitely is starting to take notice. _Get a hold of yourself Queen_ , Oliver thought.

Tommy scoffed in disbelief. How fucking great. Who was Oliver to tell him who he could be with and who he couldn't be with considering…

Tommy shot up, anger palpitating through his body.

"It's not your place to get mad at me! I get it okay. I understand that I wasn't there for Felicity when she needed us the most and you were, but I have tried repeatedly to make up for it! She's forgiven me, why can't you?!"

"Because!" Oliver retorted, unable to say what he really wants to say.

"Because what Oliver?! BECAUSE WHAT?! YOU'RE MARRIED!" Tommy pointer, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING TOMMY!"


	5. Chapter 5

Silence filled the room like a thick smoke poisoning the wind, suffocating the air out of their lungs. Neither of the two man said a word— they couldn't. The truth hung in the room by a thread, waiting, teasing, swinging in hopes for someone to cut it down. And when it does, will detonate, impaling them all.

Tommy glared at Oliver. The other man scrunching his face while putting his hand over it to hide his frustration. He just made his bed at the bottom of the ocean.

"What... truth.." Tommy demanded through gritted teeth.

Moments passed and Oliver offered no explanation.

He tried to regain his composure pacing back and forth until he could fine some sort of equilibrium. One wrong word and everything he has planned could go to hell.

"Tommy…" he started to say, reaching out.

What exactly does he say? How can he say it? Should he say it? It's not only him that would go down with this secret. And then there was the collateral damage. Oh god the _collateral damage…_

Worry crawls up his throat like spiders shooting webs at his lips, forcing them close. Pursing his lips, Oliver just shakes his head.

Shock, disbelief, and finally anger contorts on Tommy's face.

"You can't just say that and not tell me, Oliver. You can't just act like a jealous boyfriend when you have absolutely NO RIGHT to be! We've been friends, best friends even, since we were seven. We've experienced tough shit together, been through tough shit together, but we've always managed to come out the other side!" Tommy breathed.

Then finally loading the gun, he shot out the words, "Whatever this is— Whatever you're keeping that's obviously getting you twisted in knots, remember that you're not the only one affected by it. There's me, Felicity, and Laurel. Have you forgotten about her? Yeah. Your wife. She's in this picture too, Oliver. We're all affected by it. I want to know, to help you. But if you don't tell me… _we're through_."

Seconds passed until he was able to find his voice.

"Tommy…"

"Oliver.. let me help you."

Could he do this? Can he tell him? Then again, what would all of this be for it Tommy won't be in his life? An internal war blazed into Oliver's stomach, blasting guilt and pain.

"It's more complicated than the next sentence I will tell you. Can you understand that?"

Tommy inhaled, air rushing in his lungs as his chest expanded; as if it created a metal armor on his chest, shielding him from the confusion Oliver's words were about to transfix. Instead of finding words to speak, he just nodded his head.

"Laurel and I's marriage," Oliver started, "…It's fixed."

* * *

 _ ***5 Years Ago***_

A few weeks passed by without another accident, just the good old Tommy, Oliver, and Felicity trio. Summer was passing right on by. Way too quickly, actually.

The acidic burn in the pit of Felicity's stomach only intensified day after day.

"Where's Tommy?"

"I don't know. He told me he was taking someone though."

"Ooooh who is it?" Felicity instigated.

Oliver and Felicity sat waiting in Felicity's living room playing an intense game of Four in a Row. So far they were at a 3-to-3 tie and neither opponent wanted lose in the best out of 7 series.

"Ehh I don't know," Oliver waved off, "he hasn't really told me and I'm not really interested nor do I want to invade his privacy. Ya know?"

Felicity's head shot up from behind the upstanding board filled with yellow and red chips. "Since when?! You've always wanted to know who Tommy was talking to!"

Oliver just shrugged dropping another red chip on the board, creating his trap.

"Well, well. Hell be damned," Felicity simpered.

"I don't know. I'm not interested. I just— well. I kinda like this other girl."

The little smirk on Felicity's face dropped.

"Oh," she breathed dejectedly. She cringed, reprimanding herself internally for being so transparent with her tenor. "Who's this girl?" She quirkily stirred in her seat, hoping to sound as enthusiastic for Oliver as she was for Tommy.

Oliver finally peeled his eyes off the board and looked at Felicity memorizing, hoping, wishing, believing, pleading. Could he tell her? Would it change everything? If he doesn't tell her, would something be better than nothing? If he does tell her, is risking everything worth it?

He couldn't lose her. He won't.

"I uhh… It's nothing. It's stupid anyways," he mumbled.

Great, now even Oliver wouldn't tell her. Aside from feeling a pang of pain because Oliver had eyes for someone else, is she already losing her best friends? Summer hasn't even ended and they were already starting to not communicate with each other.

In a heart stricken compulsion Felicity dropped her yellow chip anywhere it cared to land on the board.

"YES!" Oliver screamed, leaping out of his seat and dropping his red chip. "I WIN!"

Oliver's sudden combustion of happiness yanked Felicity out of her stewing miserableness.

"What?!" Felicity cried.

"I WON. I WON! I. BEAT. YOU." Oliver pointed his two index fingers at Felicity, jabbing the air after every word putting an emphasis on them.

"That's impossible! Wha— How? NO! NO. I demand a replay!"

"Nope. It doesn't work that way Smoak." Oliver put one leg up on the coffee table and pretended to rip his shirt down the middle. "Woooo! Best in the world!"

"This is not fair! How could you beat me? You're not even that good." Felicity mocked, eyes wide in disbelief.

Oliver plastered a forged insulted reaction. "Rudeness Smoak. Just accept the fact that I beat you. And that says something because you know, you are a genius. So that must mean I'm Einstein." Oliver smiled.

"It doesn't work that way, stupid." Felicity retorted.

A fully standing Oliver leaned down to a sitting Felicity, smiling, teasing, "Me thinks otherwise."

The corners of Felicity's lips tugged upwards. _Damn that smile_.

Oliver's eyes wandered down, the thickness in his throat evident as he tried to clear it sounding like a winded grunt from someone who hit a wall instead. So much for sexy antics.

The thickness in the air enveloped them, forcing them together. It drew goosebumps on the back of their necks, the truth they were hiding trying to break free from the internal restraints, wanting to be known— to be free.

Just then, a piercing ring interrupted the moment. Their moment. _But of course_ , Oliver thought. Pulling the phone out of his back pocket and dreadfully breaking their intense eye banter, he read the text illuminating on his screen.

"Well, it seems like Tommy's already at the movies. Let's go." And with that, they did.

"Oliver, Felicity, this is Laurel. Laurel, these are my best friends Oliver and Felicity." Tommy introduced.

They stood in the theater lobby, exchanging greetings. When the procedural 'Nice to meet you's' were exchanged, they made their way inside.

A good chunk of the movie played on by before every passing second was loud enough to silence whispers. Felicity leaned over to Oliver's ear, the proximity igniting a sensation in Oliver's neck, making him hyperaware of just how close her lips were to his skin.

"Laurel. She's pretty." Felicity whispered.

Unable to rotate his head, Oliver nodded. He focused all of his energy at the big screen in front of him in hopes to not do anything stupid.

"Do you think he's serious about this one?" Felicity breathed.

"Yup." Oliver kept succinct.

Just then the loudest _boom_ ricocheted in the room causing Felicity to reflexively drop her head, hitting Oliver's shoulder. "Ugh. Ow!"

Oliver chuckled. He put his hand on Felicity's hand where she was trying to rub the pain away.

"Why do you have shoulders made of steel? Do you have steel in there? How do you even get passed airport security?"

"You alright?" Oliver inspected her forehead, caressing it. "It's just red. Don't think it will bruise."

Felicity shifted in her seat and Oliver's hand dropped to the side of her face. Oliver watched as promises danced in Felicity's eyes, sure that it mirrored the look in his. He inched his face closer, stopping just as he realized what he was doing. But it wasn't in his hands anymore. He made the first move, Felicity was making hers.

With the little space that was left, she closed the distance. Her lips met his. It was a soft and tender kiss. Something you could only dream about. But at the same time powerful enough that jarred their lives in a way they knew it will never be the same.

And it wasn't.

* * *

"What do you mean it's fixed? What do you mean it's fixed?!" Tommy shouted.

"Tommy," Oliver tried to calm his friend, "I will tell you. But not here. Not right now."

"No!" Tommy demanded. "I need to know this! It doesn't only affect you!"

"Let's go somewhere private."

Somewhere private turned out to be in the basement of Verdant.

"Any reason why we're at the basement of Verdant?" Tommy questioned.

"It's the only place without cameras. Can't trust them. Even without audio, people can still read lips. Better be safe than sorry."

Tommy just sat on an empty crate, eyes pointed at Oliver. At that Oliver sat opposite his friend.

"So well um. The worst of it you know, well probably not the worst but the most shocking." Oliver shook his head. _Lie_. It wasn't the most shocking. "But we'll see."

"Oliver just get to the point."

"Three years ago our whole lives changed." Oliver started.

At the hint of what happened three years ago, Tommy inhaled sharply, the air splicing through his lungs.

"Everything we knew, everyone we trusted were just _gone_. There were liars. There were traitors. And I'm sorry you and Felicity received the worst end of it." Pain flowed through Tommy's body causing him to look down, hiding his face. "I wanted nothing more but to help you both but considering what happened with our families— I just, I didn't know how."

Oliver let the words hang in the air, letting Tommy absorb it all.

"Laurel saw the pain you harbored. I saw the pain that teared Felicity into bits. The thing about pain is that people process it differently. They react differently. When you went away it tore Laurel apart, Tommy. And then there was Fe-Felicity," Oliver voice broke at her name, remembering the all the hurt she suffered. "She just wasn't the same. There's nothing that hurts more than watching the woman you love change into a person you don't recognize. She first dyed her hair black then she distanced herself from me, from this life, just as you had."

Oliver breathed. Rehashing the story proved to be too painful for either men.

"And it was easy, wasn't it? Felicity was at MIT but then she just stopped talking to me. Soon altogether she just- she just disappeared. No return calls. No updates. No nothing. I tried to give her space until space became a black hole. You left. You went to Europe, and Laurel and I were stuck trying to pick up the pieces. But the worst part of it? I couldn't help. I understood why you two went away."

Silence pierced their ears, the ringing intensifying as minutes passed and no one spoke a word. Then,

"But that doesn't explain why you had to marry Laurel."

"After you two left, Laurel and I started to get closer. We pretty much both agreed that there was nothing more painful than watching the people that you loved, hurt. So we made a pact. And no— we were never together. We promised each other that we were going to help you two with what happened. It started out small and then we dug deeper. Business stuff. Legal stuff. Illegal stuff. It all started to unfold. Before we knew it, two years passed by and I needed to be the CEO of Queen Consolidated. One of the requirements my dad put on his will is that I have to be stable. No more partying. No more random girls— I needed someone to keep me sane. I needed undying love and support. I needed a wife."

"And that's where Laurel comes in."

"Yes. Felicity was still gone... and she was still with Cooper. If I'd show up her doorsteps she would have probably ran away even further. I couldn't take that. Then there was you but we couldn't track down where in Europe you were. So Laurel and I, we made the plan to get married. There's benefits when you merge together her family's law firm and Queen Consolidated. We secretly signed a pre-nup. You two returned. We got married."

"So you're telling me, you two are doing an ongoing investigation of what happened three years ago?" Tommy said in confusion, disbelief, and gratification all at once.

"Yes."

"That's a hell big of a plan Queen."

"It's worth it. You two are worth it to us."

Tommy got up off the crate and paced back and forth, trying to process everything Oliver has told him.

"I might have lied though," Oliver shot out. "Laurel and I's marriage may not be the most surprising thing of this story."

"Then what is?"

"We're going to get your fathers out of prison."


	6. Chapter 6

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Oliver's eyes bore into Tommy's face, a face of no indication of what emotions run current under his skin. Seconds passed. Minutes, even. And yet still nothing.

Tommy was completely awestricken. Did he hear his best friend correctly? What kind of a fucking drug did he inhale to contrive such a plan? He understood seeking answers so that all the questions could be put to rest— a closure. But this? Ludicrous.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing could have prepared him for that.

Oliver cleared his throat, the growing stone faced reaction and silence making him uncomfortable. He just unraveled a plan worth two years of his life and yet, nothing.

"Tommy?" Oliver questioned, trying to bring his best friend back to earth. Shaking his head in disbelief Tommy could barely formulate a 'what' with his mouth.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you," Oliver tipped his head back, whispering in the air. A confession. A plea.

A few more seconds passed before Tommy could find his voice.

"I'm sorry. I thought I— Did I just hear what I thought I heard? You're going to get my father out of prison?"

"And Felicity's," Oliver said matter-of-factly.

"Yes well of course but, are you serious? Absolutely serious? Are you messing with me? Because if you are, this is not—"

"No, I'm not messing with you. Yes, I'm serious about all of this."

All Tommy could do is gawk at Oliver. Speechless.

"There has to be a reason why out of all the fraudulent claims, illegal trading, offshore accounts, and the still unsolicited money my dad was never brought up, or that he wasn't a part of a single transaction. Your father, Felicity's father, and my father were with each other every step of the way from the moment they started their little corporation to each their separate businesses, they were each other's brother through it all. So, how in the hell was my father not a part in any of it?!" Oliver's raged creeped up on him. If his father double crossed two of his closest friends that in turn hurt two of the most important people in Oliver's life, he had to take him down— exploit him.

Tommy scoffed. "Yeah I always thought about that," he confessed.

Oliver's eyes caught Tommy's, an apology seeping out his irises.

"We'll catch whoever this is Tommy, I promise. Even if it's the last thing I'll do."

"Yeah well let's hope it's not the last thing you do. Just… just take care Oliver. Okay?"

Oliver crossed the distance between him and Tommy, offering a pat on the other man's shoulder. "Always do."

"But," Tommy interjected as Oliver was going to step away. "What about Felicity?"

At the sound of her name, it's as if a ball was shoved and kicked into Oliver's throat. Oliver skimmed his tongue on the undersides of his teeth, as if it were the same as rubbing a genie's lamp to magically find an answer.

"I love her. I never stopped loving her. That's easy." Oliver offered. "Being with her? That's a little bit harder."

Tommy nodded.

"And Laurel?" Oliver asked right back.

"I can't just walk right back in her life after how I just… left her. Especially now knowing about this." Guilt pumped through Tommy's veins. "God. I fucked up." Tommy buried is face in his hands.

"Pain and love, two emotions on different sides of the spectrum, the one thing they have in common? They make you do things without rationality." All Tommy could do was was scoff in agreement. "And I'm gonna need you to do one thing for me." Oliver added.

* * *

 ***5 years ago***

They just kissed. _Kiss_. As in her lips were on his or his lips were on hers. Does it matter which way? The point is that her lips touched his and it was marvelous.

That is until they separated and the reality swarmed into their ears and right to their brain.

 ** _They just kissed._**

 _Oh fuck._

Neither Felicity or Oliver said a word or even glanced at the other throughout the remainder of the movie. And since Tommy and Laurel came in a separate vehicles, she was forced to ride back with Oliver. How great.

After the movie finished Felicity could barely find the nerve to move up and out of her seat. Not until Tommy kicked her out of trance.

"Coming Smoak?" Tommy smirked.

Felicity wasn't sure if he saw what had happened, not that she wanted to ask with Oliver right there, but hell if he did, she wouldn't hear the end of this.

"Right. The movie is done. That means were leaving."

"Yeah." Tommy and Laurel stared at the nervous Felicity still sitting in her seat, Oliver looking everywhere but. "Any day Smoak," Tommy reminded.

"Right." Felicity scurried out of her seat, tripping right into Oliver's space.

His hands reacted faster his brain could think, his mind reprimanding his hands when he caught Felicity by the waist. Not that he didn't want to catch Felicity, he'd hope to catch her in a different circumstance, in a different situation.

Their goodbyes to Tommy and Laurel were stiff, succinct, and plain out awkward. Oliver moved to say goodbye to Tommy just as Felicity was moving in to hug him, hoping to find some comfort in her best friend. They all just got stuck in an awkward 3 men tango.

Oliver and Felicity made their way back to the car, Oliver hurrying his pace. He unlocked the doors and turned the engine onto life while Felicity struggled to get to the car with Oliver's hastiness. The drive was painful. Silence hung in the car as they drove through the equally silent streets of Starling City.

Oliver rounded the corner onto Felicity's street and she breathed a sigh of a relief. Oliver couldn't help but notice the tension leaving Felicity's body the closer they neared her house. He was losing time to apologize, to talk to her, to figure things out. He couldn't end the night like this. No. He pulled over to the curb 2 houses away from hers and cut the engine.

"Ol— Wh— Oliver what are you doing?" Her heart hammered in her chest. So close yet so far. Should she make a run for it? No. That's stupid. Oliver's not going to do anything.

"Felicity…" Her name died on his lips. God, get her out of here. "We need to talk about what happened."

"We kissed. That happened. Accidentally, I might add. Your face was close. Mine as well. It was awkward. It _is_ awkward. End of story. Can I go home now?" Her voice little at the request.

Oliver grumbled. "We both know that, that wasn't what happened."

This was the moment people make choices and live the rest of their life according to those choices. Does she offer another excuse to just go right on home or does she want to talk about it?

Heartbeats passed before she opened her mouth to reply, her voice little. "So what did happen Oliver?"

He was finally able to look her in the eye. Blue on blue, like the ocean that held a vast amount of life, of freedom, of possibilities.

"I'm sorry. I was out of line. You face was right there. I mean, I was the one to inch closer so yeah, it is my doing. So um. I'm sorry I didn't mean to like, to make you uncomfortable. Like right now."

"Usually it's me talking in sentence fragments."

They both lightly chuckled.

"I am sorry, Felicity."

She just stared at him. Choices. Summer. College. The past, the present, and the future swirled in her head. She wasn't sorry. But does she say that? Won't it change everything?

She bit her lips, not believing what she was about to say. "Well I'm not," Oliver narrowed his eyes at he response. "For kissing you, I mean."

If waiting could kill, she'd be dead. Waiting for what Oliver was going to say was agonizing. She was debating to just make a run for it. He was too stunned to go after anyways.

But then the corners of his lips started to pinch upwards. His teeth peaked through his lips revealing the teeth that she wanted to run her tongue against, his smile obliterating all the worry that started to bubble in her stomach.

"I wasn't sorry for that either," he grinned. Above them up in the sky the stars and planet aligned. "I've been waiting to do that for a very long time actually."

"And I was wondering if it will ever happen."

"It did."

"It did," Felicity solidified.

And just like that, **_their_** story began.

* * *

Felicity collapsed on her couch. She was on her feet a lot, supervising the other IT techs on their latest projects. Being the head of the IT division at Queen Consolidated wasn't a bad job, it just wasn't her dream job. When she was younger she had plans of opening her own IT company that ranged from cybersecurity to game programming. But all of her dreams had been crushed when her father was sent to prison. Her family practically lost all of their money with exceptions to the money that was actually obtained legally, and above all, their name was tainted. No one would dare do business with her once she finished college. So this job at Queen Consolidated wasn't all too bad. Plus she owned a share of stock and was part of the board. She was well off for someone who lost everything she had.

A knock on her door elicited a groan from her lips. "Who is it?" She called out, not wanting to get up from the couch.

"The best friend, ever. Don't worry, I'm not drunk this time."

Willing herself up off the couch she opened her door to find a smiling Tommy. She all but grumbled.

"What do you want?"

"Is that how you greet everyone nowadays? That's rude Smoak."

She moved from the doorway to let Tommy in and he collapsed on her couch just as he had the night before.

"Just a long day at work." It was a long day at work, but that wasn't what had her in such an… off mood. At her meeting with Oliver he revealed to her how he was going to throw a QC fundraiser gala. Apart from making sure that the security on the IT aspect of things were solid, she had one more thing to worry about: a date.

"Funny you mention work, though I knew you were going to anyways." Felicity mocked laugh. "I come here to save you from you impeding hell."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my sources say that QC is going to have a gala." Not really sources, plural. More like source and from who? Well, he got the information at the highest level that it could leak from, Oliver. Oliver had ask Tommy to take Felicity, a little overboard but then again who else would she go with? Who else would he go with? Now that Tommy knew Oliver's plan he intends to help him all that he can. This was one way. "Be my date."

"Was that even a question?"

"No."

"Then, no."

"What?!"

"No."

Tommy chuckled. "Let it sink in."

Felicity just glared at Tommy. This would take care of her 'no date' situation and she doesn't have to go through the hassle of trying to look for a date. Or worse, showing up alone. At the very least she knew that Tommy and her were just friends and she wouldn't have to explain to the poor guy, if she would have taken someone else, that he was her date for the sole purpose of having a date.

"Fine." Felicity grumbled. If she rolled her eyes any harder, they would have fallen out of her socket.

"Told ya." Tommy laughed. Felicity forced a tight smile.

Neither Tommy and Felicity said a word but the same thought crossed their minds: this will be interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

"Felicity! To your left!"

"Right here Felicity!"

"Miss Smoak to the right!"

Flashbulbs were blinding Felicity at every turn of her head. And considering her not so stellar sight, she was practically completely blind.

A tug on her left arm brought her other senses to life. She tried to blink away the white flashes of light that still remained in her eyes.

"Tommy?"

"Let's get you out of here."

"Thank god," Felicity mumbled.

The Queen Consolidated Gala was the talk of the year. Oliver went all out, renting a three chamber ballroom, the decorations- the guests; anyone who was someone was invited.

Tommy led Felicity to the entrance of the ballroom where men in suits and women in their designer dresses smiled their five thousand dollar smile only to judge you right as you turn your back.

"Are you ready?"

"No," Felicity blurted all too quickly. "…But I will be."

"Don't worry. Just smile and it'll be over before you know it. And plus you look stunning. Everyone will be talking about you-" Felicity's eyes went wide. "In a good way!"

With a sigh, Felicity took Tommy's arm as he led the way in the ballroom. The music filled the hallow yet crowded room filled with expensive colognes and perfumes. Chatter was everywhere and collectively became white noise to Felicity's ear. She greeted the familiar faces of Queen Consolidated employees and exchanged 'Nice to meet you' to the suits that were introduced to her.

Tommy was in a deep conversation with one of his business associates when Felicity turned her head and spotted him- Oliver. Her grip on Tommy's arm immediately tightened. Tommy noticed her sentiment and diverted his attention to where her eyes landed.

 _Of course_.

Sensing Felicity's growing anxiety he ended his conversation with Rick? Mick? It doesn't matter.

"Let's get it over, yeah?" Tommy whispered in her ears. Fqelicity wanted to shake her head 'no' but Tommy was already pulling her towards them. Before she could think of pulling away they were face-to-face with Oliver and Laurel.

"Tommy! Wow, Felicity. You look amazing.." Oliver cleared his throat, realizing what he said and what he was going to blurt out. "You guys made it!" He feigned enthusiasm to help clear the lump in his throat.

"Of course. We wouldn't miss it." The two best friends patted each other on the back as the two ladies exchanged hugs.

"We're glad. Oliver here thought that Felicity wouldn't have shown up." Laurel said.

"Well, she's here." Felicity gestured to herself all too enthusiastically.

A look passed by Oliver's gaze to Tommy- an understanding- that made Felicity feel uneasy.

"Ugh that dress is to die for! The mermaid style? Always a great choice. And damn, the shade of gold only accentuates your skin. Oliver's right you look amazing." Laurel gushed, Felicity forced a tight smile. "Oh! Felicity! Remember that cake you had on your bucket list to taste a long time ago? What was it again?" Laurel snapped, trying to think of the name while the mention of the past had Felicity's stomach coil in on itself.

"Chocolate truffle cake with chocolate ganache and mint mousse." Oliver said, interrupted her thinking. "Because she said it tasted like mint chocolate chip ice cream."

Three pairs of eyes landed on Oliver's face. How in the world could Oliver have remembered that? Even Felicity doesn't remember that. She gawked up at him, impressed. At Felicity's reaction, Oliver abashedly smiled.

"Right! Oliver saw it on the menu of our caterer and insisted to get it. C'mon! I'll take you to the dessert table so you could tell me what you think." Laurel took Felicity's arm and left the two men standing in corner of the room.

"Chocolate truffle cake with what?" Tommy teased. "Jesus, that was only seconds ago and I can't even remember it."

"Chocolate ganache and mint mousse," Oliver finished.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Right well that wasn't my point. My point is, dude! You still remember that?!"

"I remember everything."

Tommy's smiled slowly faded into a line. "It must suck too, then."

Oliver just nodded neither admitting or denying Tommy's comment. "Hey look Tommy, thanks for agreeing to take Felicity. I'm sure that she wouldn't have come if you didn't ask her."

"You mean if you didn't ask me to ask her?"

"Same thing."

"Well anything for the two of you," Tommy paused. "Hey about Laurel, she doesn't know that I know right?"

"Not a clue."

"Good. Because I'm still trying to find a way to apologize to her. Help me when the time comes?"

"Absolutely." Oliver smiled.

The two men looked across the room to the women they loved, right in time to witness Felicity's face contort into mush over her first taste of the cake and Laurel's delighted squeal.

Love. Sick and twisted love.

* * *

*5 years ago*

They had been together for a month and it still makes Oliver smile when people refer to him and Felicity as a 'they' or, even better, when they use the word 'us'. If only he knew, if only he had gotten his head out of his ass any sooner, then they would have had longer time to enjoy their summer. But regardless, they're here. They're together.

"Do you want a drink?" Felicity asked, getting up from her chair.

"Yeah. Any soda."

"Gotcha."

"Thanks babe."

They were at Sara's 15th birthday party and pretty much excluded themselves to the rest of the world. It had been like this since the incident in the movie theater. Whoever told Tommy first, Oliver or Felicity, or if Tommy figured out for himself, they were ecstatic to share the news with their best friend. A news that he too had been ecstatic about. "It was about time", he said.

It had been a summer romance- but just so much more than that. It was the type of romance that springs from the freedom and promise of summer. It was the love that changed your perspective of the world. The love that made you learn things of yourself only with the knowledge of what selflessness entails. It was the love that changed your life.

From across the room there was a groan. "Ugh, make it stop! My ears!"

"Shut it Tommy! You're worse."

"Wha- no! No."

"Yeah you kind of are." Laurel agreed.

"Oh really? How?"

"Well remember that one time you 'accidentally' called Laurel poo-bear?" Felicity interjected, making her way back. The three of them laughed hysterically leaving an unamused Tommy.

It has been 2 weeks since the incident and no one had made an attempt to let the moment die. Felicity, Oliver, Tommy, and Laurel had been taking a walk in the park when Laurel screamed out, "POO!" It was just in time for Tommy to move his right foot, landing in the mud instead. He insisted that it was better to get mud on his shoes even if it did pretty much dirty the shoe to the point of uselessness. The abrupt warning of feces on the ground prompted a cheesy comment from Tommy proclaiming that Laurel was his 'poo-bear', a nickname that Laurel swiftly rejected.

"Okay whatever. It was the past. It was a mistake. Let's all move on." At Tommy's comment, they all laughed harder.

"Here's your soda, _babe_." Felicity said emphasizing the word.

"Fine fine! Babe is not a cheesy word." Tommy grumbled.

"You're still cute." Laurel said, kissing his cheek.

Just then Laurel's mom poked her head in the doorway. "C'mon you studs, Sara's about to blow her birthday cake."

They all got up and made their way onto the Lance's backyard where a large cake to feed more than two hundred mouths laid on top of a table filled with sweets.

They sung Sara happy birthday and after she made a wish. When it was time to cut the cake Felicity greedily agreed to help.

"What flavor is it?" Felicity whispered to Laurel right before volunteering.

"Choco mocha crunch, I think."

"Mmmmmmm." Felicity hummed in approval. With Oliver at her side, she squeezed his waist where her arm around him landed. "You know the best cake, ever?"

"No. What is the best cake ever?"

"Chocolate truffle with chocolate ganache and mint mousse."

"Mint mousse?"

"Yeah. It tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream."

"Oooh I like mint chip ice cream."

"Then you'll love it." Felicity smiled.

"One day." Oliver looked down to Felicity's eyes.

It was a promise.

* * *

The party didn't go as half bad as Felicity predicted it would. Right after Laurel changed her life, or Oliver technically, with the chocolate truffle cake she practically inhaled, she then moved on to all the champagne that came her way, leaving her with a tingly buzz all over her body. She felt good. Fantastic, even. Considering the circumstance, her ex-boyfriend's wife feeding her cake that said ex-boyfriend remembered to one day have her taste. Just fucking fantastic.

She glanced to the other side of the room where Laurel and Oliver were in a heated conversation. Even in a big crowded place she still knows where he stood, sober or not. She watched them as they whispered to each other in such ferocity Felicity only knew Oliver acquired when he was in a panic. Not that she was paying attention. Not at all.

"Mind if I sit here?" A voice cut through her thoughts. A man signed next to her chair on the bar.

"No. Go ahead."

She looked up at him and a wave of familiarity rushed through her veins. "Do I know you?" Felicity asked boldly, the alcohol running all of her systems.

"Can't say that we have met. But then again this is a corporate event. Must have bumped into each other before." The man dismissed. "Sorry, how rude of me. My name is James Zetrov."

"Felicity Smoak," Felicity said reaching out to shake James' hand.

"So I've heard."

"Huh?"

"Oh you know. Head of the IT department, shareholder, smart and stunning woman. Of course I've heard of you."

Felicity didn't know whether or not to be flattered or cautious. The man sparked a conversation, one that in her near inebriated state, she returned.

She didn't notice how Oliver's conversation with Laurel then included Tommy. The three of them talked in such a haste murmur no one but them could understand.

"Oh good god. There you are. Tommy, where's Felicity?"

"Um I don't know. I went to the restroom and got sidetracked by Nick. He wants to do a business merger and he kept going on and on, but the thing is his proposal isn't even-"

"Tommy! Where. Is. Felicity." Oliver reiterated concerned laced with every word. Tommy scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "Damnit!"

Oliver started to move around the room leaving a confused Tommy to an equally anxiety ridden Laurel.

"What's going on Laurel?"

"Nothing." Laurel dismissed walking hastily the opposite direction of Oliver. Tommy look back and forth between the two before deciding to follow Oliver.

"Wait hold up! Oliver! What's going on?"

"Felicity. She's in danger. So are you so stay close and keep your eyes open."

"What?! She's in danger?! How?"

"That's the part I left out to you Tommy. God, I'm so sorry… Excuse me-" Oliver darted his way from and through people to people. "This isn't only a gala. I used this event to draw out the head honchos of the black market. I got wind that they were interested in the newly modeled skeleton key applied sciences of Queen Consolidated housed. I had a replica made to present and dangle as a bait, but things turned south when Laurel and I realized there wasn't head honchos but _**a** _ head honcho."

"Well? Who's the head of the Black Market?!"

"Slade Wilson."

"Name doesn't ring a bell." Tommy tried to catch up with Oliver, bumping into people to which he's pretty sure his suit now fashioned red wine.

"He uses an alias. Of course."

"But wait!" Oliver turned around to Tommy's sudden change in volume. "Why are you doing business with the Black Market?" He whispered when Oliver came in a close enough range for no one to hear.

"Because the Black Market wasn't called the Black Market when we were younger. It was called Zetrov."

"The company our fathers used to do business with?"

"The exact one."

"Let me guess, they play a hand of mine and Felicity's father in jail?"

"Gold star." Oliver again started moving cutting across the dance floor straight to the other chamber of the ballroom where the bar stands. "There she is!"

Tommy and Oliver quickened their paces. As they neared her the people around them started to disperse from their view. There she sat talking, more like babbling, to a man. Her back was to them. The man's eyes gazed over Felicity's shoulder and straight at them.

"Who is that?" Tommy asked dead in his track.

"Something tells me not anyone that we can trust."

Just then the man raised his drink and winked at them. Actually winked at them.

"Fucking hell did he just wi-" Tommy never got to finish his sentence.

Instead the color drained from his face. A red dot skimmed over and down his body straight onto his chest.

It took a millisecond to register what was happening. Oliver pushed Tommy as hard as he could, successfully forcing him out the way.

Glass shattered from somewhere around the room. There was a loud thud indicating that someone fell. A woman's voice told people to get out of the way. Everything moved in slow motion and yet everything went by too fast.

The red dot repositioned itself to find another target, directed straight to Felicity's head.

Oliver leaped to get to Felicity just as Laurel from the opposite direction launched herself. She was closer, connecting with Felicity's body first, pummeling her out of her chair and onto the ground. A gun shot echoed throughout the room.

Frantic screams filled the three chamber ballroom, people everywhere rushing to get to the exit. Private security and some of the police on guard rushed in, guns hot, firing away at what Oliver could only imagine as the shooter. So much noise and so many bodies collided with his stumbling him where he stood, but all Oliver could stare at was the ground in front of him. A nauseating feeling crawled its way up from the tip of his toes to the top of his head. Bile danced its way up his throat as he saw Felicity'said body laying there as Laurel hunched over her, blood oozing onto the ground.

"She hit her head when I knocked her out of the way. She has a pulse, she's just unconscious. But we need to get her out of here and to the hospital." Laurel said frantically. "OLIVER!"

"She's bleeding." Oliver said numbly.

"Yes. She's bleeding. The gun hit her shoulder but that's it. It's through and through. She's not hit anywhere else. Please Oliver help me!"

A thread snapped in Oliver's mind. He crouched down to where the two ladies lay. Hooking one arm under Felicity's legs and one arm around her waist, he carried her to where a police officer was ushering people out the doors.

When Tommy got wind back in his lungs, he helped Laurel up, shielding and guiding her right behind Oliver.

Before making their way out Oliver looked around the room. There was no sign of the man that Felicity was talking to. Instead John, his personal security guard, had the shooter in cuffs no doubt already ahead of the police.

The two men exchanged nods, something that they've grown accustomed to as a way of speaking.

In such a simple gesture they knew, whoever was behind this, _they were going to pay._


	8. Chapter 8

She was swimming in an ocean of consciousness. Sometimes, lie, most the time she was pulled under. The darkness surrounded her, suffocating her, paralyzing her. She couldn't move. Everything felt cold.  
But in the rare moments that she can feel warmth, she always felt it in her hands. In these moments her head was above water, cognizant. She would try to say something, but when she dared speak she was pulled under, the water filling her lungs, unable to speak.  
So she tried to hold onto the warmth. _His_ warmth.

If she was going to survive this she would have to believe it was him, that it was his hands holding hers trying to pull her out of the darkness.

"She's losing a lot of blood! We need to get her to the hospital fast!"  
 _Why was she losing so much blood? It was only one bullet wound._

"Oliver, please! C'mon. We need to go!"  
 _There's so much blood._

"Oliver. Please! C'mon!"  
 _He couldn't move. Why couldn't he move?_

Someone moved him for his sake; a nudge, a push. It was Tommy. Bless Tommy.  
Somehow he was able to lead Oliver to a car. The city lights zoomed past the windows, nothing but streak of lights with how fast the car was hurtling down the streets of Starling.  
But Oliver didn't notice.  
His mind was only focused on one thing.  
Her.

When Oliver found the ability to use his legs he walked and walked. Down one hallway he went and to another. Round the corner and another. _Where was she?_  
White walls. Fluorescent lights. Vending machines and cheap coffee. _Where was she?_

"Sir, I think it would be best if you would just stay-" Oliver cut her off with an icy glare. Why wasn't she helping Felicity? She should be helping Felicity. _Where was she?_

 _"_ The family of Felicity Smoak?"  
"Yes that would be us!"  
"Ms. Smoak is out of surgery. The shrapnel-"  
"Shrapnel?!"  
"Yes, it appears that the bullet was a sort of RIP bullets where upon contact the bullet would break off in several different directions. She had a couple of internal hemorrhaging, of no major organs fortunately, we were able to identify them and prevent the loss of more blood."  
"Oh thank goodness."  
"Yes. But I'm afraid that, that's not all. It appears that these bullets were custom made and laced with poison. Couple that with the internal bleeding it could be deadly. We have done a blood transfusion to get rid of the poisoned blood. The toxicology report stated that it was Curare, but we are not sure if it was a hybrid of another toxin. She has slightly responded to the antidotes we have given her, but not to the extent we are hoping for. We're currently running more test to pinpoint exactly what other toxin the bullet could be laced with-"  
"Are we allowed to visit her?"  
"Yes, but she is in the ICU so I'm afraid only to family."  
"We're all the family she has left."  
"Then… one at a time."

Felicity was eventually taken out of the ICU when they were able to identify that the Curare was a hybrid of Belladonna. Belladonna. Beautiful Lady. Beautiful Queen. _The irony._  
In the following days it was Laurel and Tommy who did all the talking to the doctors and staff. Oliver stayed at her side. He always stayed by her side.

"She's a fighter." The doctor quipped. Oliver nodded his head. Of course his girl was a fighter. She would always come back to him.


	9. Chapter 9

She could feel the coldness starting to dissipate. She could feel the warmth not only in her hands but through her body as it tickled her feel, tingling all the way up to her stomach. The water was starting to evaporate and her head poked above the water.  
She was floating. Just floating. But it was okay.

It was better than drowning.

She could hear again. She could hear voices, but more importantly she could hear his voice.  
They said a lot of things. She tried to remember them and somewhat engage in their conversations but then she'd lose the battle and go under again.  
Not for long though. Not as long and painful as it used to because his voice and his warmth always entranced her.

She always found him.

But all too suddenly the waters started draining away, taking her along with the pressure. She tried to swim against the current to no avail.  
The water was shallow enough now that her feet could touch the ground. She tried to plant them firmly but she was just whisked again.  
She hit something rough, but it wasn't painful. All she could remember were the white caps, the roaring waves, and the rocks they lap.

When she opened her eyes everything was white.  
White walls. White sheets.  
And everything was cold. 

* * *

"It's been 3 weeks. I can't just sit here anymore."  
"What are you going to do Oliver? All that we can do is sit here and wait."  
"I need to do something. I need to find something. A lead maybe! I don't know-"  
"Oliver?" John interrupted, standing in the doorway. "I may have found something. I'm not completely sure what it means, but maybe you do."  
"What is that?" Tommy asked, confused.  
"Um. Nothing I had John try and find a lead on who might have wanted Felicity and you as a target."  
"And? What did you find?"

John looked to Oliver asking for a go signal. Oliver nodded at the gesture.

"It might have been, like who Oliver suspected, Slade Wilson, but it was an interesting thing that the Curare was laced with Belladonna. Not only that but in a RIP Bullet. These things individually are custom made and not even sold in the black market. So it's a little weird that Slade Wilson would have access to this. The Belladonna, its dosage and the way it's manufactured is from this group called HIVE. It's leader Damien Darhk," John explained as he laid various pictures and finally a headshot of two men on the hospital room's table, "is known as one of the most notorious businessmen. For years there had been whispers that Slade and Damien were in cahoots with each other for this big project but it has only been whispers. The Curare by Slade and Belladonna by Damien is the only solid proof, if it even is, that these two men are working with each other."  
"I don't understand what would these men want with me or with Felicity?"  
"Well your fathers if I'm right, wanted to out Robert making the deal with Slade. So before they could get the upper hand, Slade and Robert turned the tables on Malcolm and Noah. They couldn't finish their project without another man and I'm thinking that's where Damien comes into the picture. Something must have went wrong and both Slade and Damien turned their backs on Robert and had him killed. It works out for them, to take the empire all three of your fathers started."

Oliver bowed his head at the mention of his father's death. Felicity and Tommy's father might have been in prison but his was dead. And though pain and remorse should surface up in him, there was just numbness. How can Oliver ever forgive him when all he has done is sabotage and betray and lie to his family and friends? Was anything about him ever real?

"One more thing," Diggle added. "I found this. I'm not sure what it means, but I think you might."

Oliver inspected the picture thoroughly. His eyes scanned over it again and again. It was an overhead shot of men in suits, a party held at the Hyatt years ago.

"I don't know any of these men." Oliver said, confused. Tommy stood next to him also examining the picture.  
"Yup. Neither do I."  
"Are these men people who have worked for our fathers before? Or are they accompli—" Oliver halted mid-sentence. Something in the lower right hand corner of the picture caught his attention. He held it to his eyes more closely, squinting, hoping it will help him see better.  
"Oliver? What is it? What do you see?" Tommy asked.  
"Do you see that?" Oliver pointed.  
"Uhh no. I don't. That's not a guy right? What is it?"  
"I can't believe it." Oliver shook his head incredulously, not hearing Tommy's question above the hammering of his heart.  
"Oliver?"  
"I have to go. I have to check this out." Oliver quickly gathered all the papers John laid on the the table and grabbed his coat.  
"Oliver! Where are you going?!" Tommy shouted, confusion laced in every syllable.  
"I'll be back. I have to check this out!" Adrenaline shot through his veins, making him antsy, jumpy.  
"Oliver, what about Felicity!" Tommy pointed.  
"I'm doing this for her! For you! If— When she wakes up there is still the threat to her life and to yours. Just because they've targeted her doesn't mean they won't target her or you again. It's not safe and never will until I get to the root of this."

Tommy just shook his head. His hands coming up to his face trying to rub away the escalating worries working up his body.

"I'll be back. I'll come back." Oliver declared, this time more stern. Trying to convince not only Tommy and Diggle, but also himself.  
"This is crazy Oliver." Tommy pleaded for his best friend to stay.  
"Tommy, I have to do this."  
Diggle grabbed his arm halfway through the door. "Are you sure about this Oliver?"  
"I am."  
"Take care man. Come back."

Oliver looked past the guy who has become his right hand man these past 3 years and into the room where his best friend stood agitated and confused. Finally his eyes laid on the girl laying on the hospital bed fighting for her life. And if everything wasn't clear before, it was now. He's doing this because he's fighting for her life— their life.

"I will."


	10. Chapter 10

Everything was white.  
White sheets, white walls, white wraps.  
There was a incessant beeping of a monitor to her right. Her body felt stiff as if she'd been mummified in place and it was the first time she has able to break free of the wraps paralyzing her. But one ache was more prominent than the others.

"Water," Felicity croaked out.  
Bodies moved furiously in front of her. Laurel got to her first and held the straw to her lips to which she sucked on mercilessly trying to consume all the liquid she can.

"Another please," She barely managed to say.  
"Here take this. How are you feeling?" Tommy offered.  
"M'okay. Hurts a little."  
"I'll call the doctor," Diggle's voice chimed from the corner of the room.

Tommy moved in closer, the bed dipping next to her. He stroked her hair just as he had when she had found the invitation in the mail, just as he had days leading up to the wedding.  
Silence filled the atmosphere. Optimism hung in the air brightening the room, almost blinding them.

"Where's Oliver?" Felicity asked, voice a little stronger than before.  
Heads turned to one another. Laurel shifted her weight to her other foot and Tommy's hand paused momentarily on top of Felicity head. John's step momentarily halted catching Oliver's name as he got back. _Was she that transparent? Laurel was here so it was just fair that she can ask about Oliver. Right?_  
A voice in her mind said that she shouldn't have been so eager to ask, but another voice in her head didn't care. Even though things were kind of hazy she was pretty sure she had almost died, she gets a pass as an overbearing best friend.

Laurel took a step towards Felicity just as the doctor stepped in the room.  
"How are you Ms. Smoak?" Dr. Silliker asked tapping his clipboard. The deafening silence subsided into a numbing dull lull with each footstep he took towards Felicity.  
"I'm okay. I could be better."  
"We'll get you to that. Right now I need to check your vitals. Is that okay?"  
"Oh yeah." Tommy realized getting off from where he sat on Felicity's bed.

The doctor performed his checkup to which he optimistically announced that everything seemed to be good.  
"We'll monitor you for the next few days, but if your recovery keeps on going in an upward pace you should be out of here soon."  
Felicity pursed her lips into a smile in response.  
"Alright well I will let you rest some more," he smiled.

Their eyes trailed him out the door, lingering at the empty hallway even long after he was gone.

* * *

*5 years ago*

"This sucks," Oliver mumbled into Felicity's hair.  
"I know."  
"But I'll see you for Thanksgiving and over the long weekends right?"  
"Absolutely."

The sweltering heat of the summer had finally subsided and fall was beginning to chase the sun away. The orange and yellow hues started to color the trees, the sign of their first fall semester of college hurtling their way.

Oliver and Felicity had spent all possible summer days together. Of course to their luck it would be the last summer before they part ways that their friendship finally blossomed into something more.  
But they cherished every bit of it.

Oliver's arm rested around Felicity's shoulders while her head laid in the crook of his neck. Neither of them knew what to say, letting the t.v. in front of them fill the silence.  
Minutes dragged on before either of them could find their voices past the growing lump in their throats.

"We'll be okay, right?" She asked, her voice small. She tipped her head backwards to meet his face. He could see the tears that started pooling in her eyes. She was trying so hard not to cry. The sight of her on the verge of tears shifted his insides, inside out, colliding with each other into a ball of emotions that were foreign to him.  
But he knew one thing: he would do whatever it takes to never see her cry.

"Of course. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy."  
She pursed her lips into a smile, burying her face again on the crook of his neck.  
Oliver shifted his body so he fully faced her. He took her face in the palm of his hands and forced her to look him in the eyes. Hesitantly her eyes traveled up his face until their set of blue eyes were locked in with each other.  
"We're going to be okay."

Felicity closed the gap between them, pressing her lips on his. With his hands already cradling her face, Oliver deepened the kiss slightly parting his lips. Felicity eagerly took his cue, letting her tongue gaze his. She traced the tip of his teeth garnering a moan from Oliver that tingled her body core to her toes. She got up and without breaking the kiss, repositioned herself so that she was straddling him. She locked her legs behind him and pulled him in even closer locking her arms behind his neck. Oliver peeled his hands away from her face, instead placing his hands on her waist.

"I'm ready," Felicity panted, pressing her forehead on his.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes."

Oliver put some distance between them trying to catch her eyes.  
"Are you sure?" He asked again, trying not to let the moment get to them.  
"I have never been so sure in my life."  
"But Felicity—"  
"I want you, Oliver. I have always wanted you. I trust you. I love you." She said earnestly, voice strong.  
"You love me?"  
She playfully hit him. "Of course I love you. You're like a big little fluffy puppy."  
"Big little?"  
She rolled her eyes, giggles bubbling their way up her throat. He smiled along with her and waited until her fits of laughter subsided.  
"I love you too, Felicity," Oliver replied, all traces of playfulness gone. He let the statement hang in the air- their first time saying the three big words.

"You're really sure?" He asked huskily.  
Felicity cupped her hands on either side of his face and squished it together. "Oliver Queen, I love you," she reiterated, this time a little breathless.

Oliver blinked, his eyes grew darker, his lids falling heavier. It felt painstakingly long until he closed the gap between them.  
When he presses his lips to hers, something changed. The rushed need for touch dissipated and what was left was a slow burning passion for each other's souls.  
One hand around her waist and the other on her butt, he lifted both of them up off the couch and into the bedroom. One by one articles of clothings laid on the ground, trailing the way to the bed, leaving them in their underwear. Oliver gently laid Felicity down, hovering above her, marveling at how beautiful she was. She flushed a deep shade of crimson, shy at his intense gaze.

"You're stunning Felicity," Oliver said gravelly, his voice thick laced with the need for her.

She smiled at his compliment and ran her hands down the muscles on his forearm to his hands. She grabbed them and pulled him down on her. His elbow rested on either side of her face as her legs locked behind him. He could feel the heat radiating from her core, hear her little pants, taste the sweetness of her skin, and he was absolutely sure that Felicity could feel him growing hard.

He dipped his head to the crook of her neck kissing a path down to her chest. He kissed around her bra and continued kissing down her stomach to her side. With a smile he buried his face kissing the curve of her waist, tickling her, sending Felicity to a laugh causing her legs to unbuckle behind him.

He was trying to make her more comfortable and knowing that he would do anything to ease her nervousness made her heart soar. Felicity ran her hands through his hair, gently tugging on him to stop. His face surfaced from her side, a grin eating his face. Felicity couldn't help but smile at how hot and yet adorable Oliver was being. Hot and adorable. If there was one person that could pull that off, Oliver is the person.

He started to make his way up her body just as she arched her back, one hand reaching behind her, unhooking her bra. Oliver grabbed her waist and ran his hands up her body, pushing her bra out of the way. His thumb gazed over her nipple, making Felicity's breath hitch. He lowered his head and let his tongue flicker back and forth over her her hardened nipple. Felicity moaned vibrating her body, making Oliver groan in response.

All of the sudden the need for him was too much to wait for and her hands frantically tried to remove the couple last pieces of clothing in their way. Oliver helped her, hooking a finger in her panty, sliding it down her legs as she tugged his boxers off.

The skin to skin contact prickled every inch of them sending goosebumps across their skin.  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."

Oliver hovered over her again on his arms as she guided him to her entrance. She was slick with the need for him enabling him to enter her with ease. Felicity rested her hands on his butt, the carnal need to have him deeper. With every thrust the beginning of her and the end of him blurred as they became one.

He moved in and out of her slowly, deliberately, prolonging their ecstasy. He thrusted in her, gyrated his hips in circles, then pulled back out. The burn started in the pit of her stomach, his pace sending her into a frenzied rage of wanting him to move faster yet slower. Her head started thrashing from side to side, the sound of their hips colliding with each other drowned out by their moans.

"Felicity..." Oliver purred, his core tight trying not to yet reach climax. "Mmmmm..."  
"Oliver," Felicity barely managed to get out through her moans. "I'm gonna- gonna cum."

Oliver quickened his pace, chasing her ecstasy. She involuntarily twitched under him, the sign of her coming orgasm. Her walls clenched him tighter as he groaned in response, any semblance of control quickly slipping.  
Felicity's moan turned into a loud cry, his name on her lips as she climaxed around him, paralyzed by the force of her orgasm.  
Oliver hurried his pace, her name repeatedly leaving his mouth in an urgency to join her. White flashes blurred his vision, his head tipping back as he spilled in her thrust after thrust until he was dry.

He collapsed next to her, pulling her in an embrace. They tried to calm their breathing as they basked in their afterglow.  
At this moment they were infinite.  
They've given a piece of their soul to the other, linking them together forever.

* * *

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. The white and blue tiled floor outside her hospital room convoluted to many different shapes and colors. She was waiting for a pair of legs making their way to her room, crossing the threshold of the door.

But it never happened.  
And she didn't have the courage to ask again if their response will only be silence and worried glances to one another.

A knock broke her love affair between her eyes and the hallway floor. Two police officers stood awkwardly half outside and inside the room.  
"Yes officers? How may we help you?" John stood up from where he was seated.  
"Is this Ms. Smoak's room?"  
"Yes it is."  
"May we have a chance— oh Ms. Lance you are here too," the officer started.  
"Hey Officer Adams, what's up?"  
"May we have a chance to talk to you and Ms. Smoak?"  
"Oh. I've already given an official statement with my father, and I'm afraid that Felicity's memory is a little hazed with all the medications they have her on. Now may not be the best time."  
Officer Adams looked to his partner who gave him a solemn nod.  
"I'm afraid that, that's not what were here for."  
"Oh?" Tommy quipped at the back of the room. "Is this about who was behind the attack?"  
Officer Adams shook his head. "Not about that either."  
"Then what are you two here for?" Felicity questioned. The pits of her stomach collapsed in on each other before she could finish her sentence. The coldness that stung her soul from when she had opened her eyes burned in her chest. She rubbed it, willing it to go away.  
Officer Adams opened his mouth and shut it various times before he could find his voice. "I um- there's no easy way to say this. But um, Oliver Queen is missing."


	11. Chapter 11

"He's missing?"

"He can't be gone we was just here three days ago!"

"He's away on a business trip!"

They all imploded. Everyone talked at once and over each other. Panic struck their bones, Oliver's radio silence over the last few days meeting an explanation.

"What do you mean he's missing?" Felicity asked, her eyes darting from face to face. Officer Adams stepped further into the room, taking his cap off, starting to explain.

"Mr. Queen— Oliver— was at a yacht for some private business meeting. Various people, about 50 to 70. There was a storm, strong winds, strong currents, and the yacht capsized. Only a few survivors have been accounted for, sadly Mr. Queen was not one of them."

"Is he dead?"

"No body has been found and no survivors have verified that he is dead. For now he's missing until either one of the two circumstances arise. I'm sorry."

The two officers scuffled quickly out of the room and out of sight. The silence rang in their ears, the sharp piercing noise breaking them down one by one. Oliver stopped updating John just a day before Felicity woke up and two days after he left hurriedly after seeing something in the picture John presented to them. He offered no explanation, just a promise— he'll be back.

But he wasn't back, he isn't back, and they're not sure if he ever will come back.

Shock. Felicity was in shock. Her heart skipped a few beat, the monitor to her right indicating that she wasn't just hallucinating her heart literally breaking. This couldn't be real. This was still a dream. She was still in the ocean and she hasn't really woken up right? He lower lips started quivering, the tears prickling her eyes.

"I- I have to go," Laurel whispered, her voice taken by the wind. She passed a knowing look to John, John nodding in agreement from their silent exchange.

"Laurel?"

"Yes Felicity?"

"I'm sorry about Oliver," he voice broke as tears streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry about your loss too Felicity."

She knows. Of course she knows. But right now Felicity could care less that her best friend's wife knows that she's in love with her husband. She should care, but she doesn't. She couldn't care about anything. She couldn't think about anything. All that settled in her body was the numbness from the cold that pierced her being when Officer Adams announced that Oliver was missing.

"I felt it. When I woke up. I felt it. It was so cold. I was so cold. When you wake up from a coma that's not what you should feel, right? But it was what I felt. It was just so cold. And it is so cold. Oliv- Ol-," she choked unable to get his name fully out. She resigned her efforts to speak, the tears now violently flowing from her eyes. In the corner John was immobile, shocked evident across his face. Tommy was propped up against the wall also unable to move.

Everything was just dull. Numb.

The time rolled away, the darkness chasing the sun away as night settled as the city lights illuminated the sky, instead of the sun. They stayed like that until God knows when.

* * *

 _ ***5 Years Ago***_

"So I'm going to see you this Thursday right?"

"Yep, that's Thanksgiving day," Felicity checked the calendar that hung up in her dorm. She circled the date with a red sharpie both a reminder and a goal that she will finally see Oliver after months of being apart.

"I really miss you."

"I really miss you too."

"This sucks."

"I know. But we can get through it right?"

"Absolutely." A sad smile crept though her face. For once she was thankful that Oliver was on the phone instead of a video chat. She didn't want him knowing truly how homesick she was.

"Felicity, what's wrong?" 

_Everything_ , she wanted to say. She was alone in a new city, at a new school, she barely made any friends, her work load was more than she can handle, but what takes the cake is the news bomb her dad emailed earlier in the day: her family was going bankrupt. The prospect wasn't good. Of course in business there's always that possibility of going under, but this was entirely different.

"Nothing."

"Felicity-" Oliver started to admonish.

"Really, it's nothing. I just miss you."

"Just a few more days."

"Yeah."

She did want to see Oliver, but she didn't want to go home to see him. She didn't want to see her family. She didn't want to see her family go through all financial troubles because then it makes it real.

"Hey Oliver? I have to go. I need to finish the paper and this coding project. I'll see you soon."

"Alright. Hey Felicity?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They didn't know it then but it would be one of their last better goodbyes.

Thanksgiving rolled in faster than Felicity could say 'oh frak'. She was dreading it, having to put on a front, put on a smile, but what she dreaded the most is hiding the truth to the one person she loved the most.

Oliver was staring. He's been staring since she arrived at the Queen mansion for their Thanksgiving dinner. She tried to keep her eyes away from his in fear that they would reveal too much, focusing on the food in front of her instead.

"Moira, thank you for hosting the dinner this year."  
"Of course Donna. You know that we all take turns with these things," Moira smiled.

"Yes but then you have to host the Christmas party as well. You know, us being Jewish and all."

"I don't mind that at all. You know how us Queens love throwing the Christmas party."

"You do it well," Donna smile genuinely.

Felicity felt her stomach churn. How could her mom seriously just smile amidst what they were going through? Well, she had been around longer than Felicity had in the Starling City elite scene and could possibly smile her way through whatever storm brews in the inside.

It wasn't even the materialistic things that Felicity was most scared to lose, or the fame, or the money. It was Oliver. How would he see her after all this? Her family? Of course, Oliver was a better person than judging her by the amount her family had in the bank accounts, but what if finds out that her had been betraying his father all this while?

She didn't know the entire truth but after the email her mom had sent her about their family's financial crisis, Felicity investigated, more like hack, her way through her father's accounts, records, and funds. More times than once did she find the embezzlement of money from his account to an offshore in the Cayman's. _Of course it would be in the Cayman's_ , Felicity thought when she'd discover his dirty little secrets. She pried more only to discover that those accounts were in the name of Adam Hunt, and if she wasn't mistaken Adam Hunt had been a pseudonym her father, Oliver's Father, and Tommy's father once used to keep the host of their biggest gala anonymous. The pits of her stomach sank along with her heart at the revelation.

And once the truth started to unfold did she unravel. How in the earth could she ever face Oliver with all this… shame? How can she look at the man that she loved and tell him that what he'd learn too was a sham?

She couldn't.

And she isn't.

Instead she was here in his house, at Thanksgiving, pushing food around her plate. The irony of the day being Thanksgiving almost made her scoff. Thankful for what? Her lying, scheming father? Instead she swallowed it down with a choke. Oliver's hand flew to her back, stroking it back and forth, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Felicity, you okay honey?" her mom asked from across the table. She gave Felicity a sharp look, one that said _Dare to even act a little out of line, Felicity, so help me god…_

"Yeah I'm fine," she forced a smile.

"Good," her mom smiled in return, as the one she'd given Moira moments earlier.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Oliver whispered in her ear after everyone paid their attention back to their plates.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay."

He took the hand that was on her her back and calmly rested it on her knee, his thumb stroking her leg. He used his other hand to pick his fork back up to eat. Felicity looked up at him taking in every feature of his face, the defined edges of his jaw yet to be covered by a beard, his little dimple that keeps popping up whenever he chewed his food, his slightly crooked nose because of that time a bat hit his face when they were just kids. So many memories they shared with another and for a moment Felicity forced the future away, focusing on their past.

"I love you, Oliver."

Her declaration took him off guard. Sure they have said it to each other before but it always felt new every time they said it to one another.

"I love you too Felicity."

They stared at each other, the background noise and people floating away in a blur. Oliver made a subtle movement that allowed the light to hit face just right and it illuminated ever feature of his face. Felicity's breath caught. If she could capture any moment, it would be this. She kept it engrained in her mind, tattooed on her heart. She'd never forget him here, at this moment.

Just as she'd thought she could find the strength to make it past through the storm brewing, the doors of the Queen's mansion flew open with a loud bang. Police came through the threshold, guns drawn.

"EXCUSE ME! What are you doing?!" Robert boomed, shooting up from where he sat.

"Noah Smoak! You are under arrest for embezzlement, extortion, and fraud. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you can and will be used against you in the court of law.."

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! HE WAS SET UP!" Donna screamed trying to pry the officer's hands from handcuffing Noah.

"We got him," radioed one officer. "How's the raid for Malcolm Merlyn?"

"We got him also," the gravely voice on the other end of the line stated triumphantly.

"Alright, we're on the way to the precinct."

Felicity stayed glued to her seat, shock rendering her immobile. Tears flew violently down her cheeks, her hands gripping the edges of the chair to keep her steady.  
She watched the scene unfold in front of her like a haze. Everything went so fast yet it panned like a slow motion movie. The screams pierced her ears to a cumulative high pitched screech. The contents of her stomach dared to make its way back up. She did the only thing she could do: She ran.

She ran fast.

She ran out of the room to the nearest bathroom, heaving, gagging and crying.

Oliver tried to run after her, only to be stopped by the hands that grasped his arm.

His father peered down at him. "Let her be, Oliver."

Oliver could blame it on the commotion or the screaming, or the fuckfest that was happening, but he knew he wasn't mistaken— he saw a glint in his father's eye. An unnerving gleam of triumph, one that shrewd _I won_.

Oliver shook his arm out of his father's grasp, matching his glare. He didn't say anything. He doesn't have anything to say. But there was one thing Oliver knew beyond anything that was said, his father was behind this.

* * *

Felicity was discharged from the hospital a week after she woke up from her coma. John took her home and made sure she was safe with the security he hired.

Days dragged on. All she did was sit on her couch, waiting for someone to ring her doorbell to tell her he was alive or dead. Some days she'd desperately just wanted an answer, even if it meant the latter. At least she'll know. At least maybe then she can start to heal.

But no one ever did ring her doorbell.

Occasionally Tommy would drop by, but not as often as he did before. She understood. Everyone coped with loss different ways. Everyone picks up different pieces of what was shatter of them. Tommy and Laurel spent a lot of time together. They always seemed like they were running off to something important. And the times that the three of them were around each other, Laurel and Tommy always spoke to each other in whispers. Whispers about what? Felicity didn't know. They didn't tell her anything. At the times they would talk it was almost always to check up on her, on each other. Then they'd tell her, "Hold on."

The weirdness of Laurel telling her to 'hold on' was not lost on Felicity. Her best friend's wife, the same best friend who she'd never stopped loving, telling her to 'hold on'… _huh_. She'd tell her the same thing except it was obvious that Laurel was doing better than she was. Maybe it was because she kept busy. Maybe it was because she fronted. Felicity didn't know. But one thing she did know: Laurel knew Felicity still loved Oliver.

And she was okay with it.

Weird times ten.

But Felicity didn't dare to talk about it. There was nothing to talk about. He was still gone.

 ** _April_**

...

 ** _May_**

...

 ** _June_**

...

 ** _July_**

...

 ** _August_**

...

 ** _September_**

...

 ** _October_**

...

 ** _November_**

...

 ** _December_**

...

 ** _January_**

...

 ** _February_**

It wasn't the doorbell that rang. In fact, nothing rang or knocked. It came in the habitual form of turning on the television while she made her morning coffee.

"Breaking news! Survivors had been found from the yacht that capsized almost one year ago. Starling City Central News will update you as the story unfolds. So far the survivors are receiving medical inspection and have not yet been identified. On board the yacht were few notable names including Hank Mardied, Wile Solands, Breton Reque, Adam Hunt, and Oliver Queen."

"Holy shit."


End file.
